Meyers, however, started things off on his own, with a traditional monologue of jokes, many of which were of the inside variety. "This year we’re doing the Emmys on a Monday night in August -- which, if I understand television, means the Emmys are about to get cancelled," Meyers said.

While the Emmys would not go on to honor "House of Cards" or "Orange is the New Black" in the major drama and comedy categories, Meyers made the Netflix shows a central focus of his monologue.

"We're doing the show on Monday in part because the MTV Music Awards were last night," Meyers said. "That's right: MTV still has an awards show for music videos even though they no longer show music videos. That's like network TV holding an awards show and giving all the trophies to cable and Netflix. That would be crazy."

Before the Emmys broadcast, Meyers gave a host of interviews about the prestigious job. “Part of what makes [hosting] rewarding is that everybody knows you're taking a risk,” Meyers told The New York Daily News. "I don't think there's a perception that hosting them is easy."